Why join the Modern brigade?
The Modern Brigade is an online community, led by Chef James Avery, for restaurant owners and future restaurateurs who want to build real businesses, not just busy kitchens. Inside, Chef James shares 25 years of hard-won lessons from opening restaurants, leading teams, and running profitable operations. You’ll learn what actually moves the needle — how to hire and lead great people, control costs, and turn daily chaos into a scalable, well-run restaurant.
That’s where The Modern Brigade comes in: a focused, paid community built to mentor owners, operators, and those preparing to buy or launch their first restaurant. Rooted in the discipline of the classic French brigade system, we’ve modernized it for today’s industry — prioritizing strong leadership over burnout, systems over guesswork, and long-term success over short-term hustle.
Join the BrigadeThe Modern Brigade is For:
Restaurant Owners
Who are stuck, want to build financial systems, consistently fill in seats, build menu pricing, and want to scale.
Future Restaurateurs
Who want to learn the systems and processes to put in place to scale their operations.
Executive Chefs
Who are looking to grow and better understand the systems and processes behind a restaurant.
Live Calls Each Week
Each week, Chef James Avery hosts at least one live call where he breaks down the real drivers of a successful restaurant — from marketing and menu engineering to staffing, systems, and daily operations. Drawing from over 25 years of experience running kitchens and building profitable businesses, Chef James walks you through exactly what to fix, what to focus on, and how to scale without losing control. These sessions are interactive and designed to give you clarity, practical tools, and a clear path forward so your restaurant can grow with confidence instead of chaos.
What Other Chefs are Saying
What's Included?
The Modern Brigade isn’t just a membership, it’s an operating system for restaurant owners who want to lead with confidence, grow with clarity, and build a business that runs without constant firefighting.
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Private Community – Connect with serious restaurant owners, operators, and future buyers who are building real businesses, not just cooking food.
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Weekly Live Mentorship with Chef James Avery – Direct access to 25+ years of leadership, operations, and restaurant-building experience focused on solving the problems you’re dealing with right now.
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Restaurant Leadership & Operations Training – Learn how to hire, lead, price, and systemize your restaurant so it runs smoothly and profitably.
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Playbooks, Templates, and Systems – Proven tools for scheduling, food cost control, menu structuring, labor management, and growth planning.
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Peer Accountability & Networking – A room full of operators who hold each other to a higher standard and push for real results.
- Job Opportunities - There will be positions open from restaurant owners throughout the country exclusively available to the community members
Join the Brigade
Chef James Avery is one of the most talented and inspiring chefs I’ve ever had the privilege to learn from. I truly couldn’t have done it without him. What started as mentorship has turned into a genuine friendship, and I’m grateful to have someone like Chef Avery in my corner.
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Kyle Timpson
Executive Chef,
Hell’s Kitchen Foxwoods
Winner, Hell’s Kitchen Season 24
Doors Close Soon!
Meet Chef James Avery
Chef James Avery’s culinary journey began at a young age, delivering pizzas at a local pizzeria on the Jersey Shore. His passion for hospitality took root while working in a variety of restaurant roles during his college years in Florida. He later pursued formal culinary training at The Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale before returning to New Jersey, where he continued developing his craft in some of Atlantic City’s most respected kitchens. Over the years, James honed his craft working in kitchens of the some of the most renowned chefs in the industry, including David Burke, Michael Mina, and Gordon Ramsay. His work with Ramsay led to multiple seasons as the on-camera sous chef on FOX’s hit series Hell’s Kitchen, along with appearances on Kitchen Nightmares and 24 Hours to Hell and Back.
Beyond television, James has owned and operated several acclaimed restaurants, most notably The Bonney Read and The Black Swan in Asbury Park, New Jersey. His dedication extends beyond the kitchen—he’s passionate about fitness, family, and food. James believes that living a meaningful life as a chef life starts with what you create in the kitchen and how you nourish both body and soul. His mission is to share both his recipes and living a successful and balanced life.
